Transmigration
by Honeybee1111
Summary: After the events of Carnival, Ensign Sato and Empress Sato have some adventures in the opposite universes. Archer/Sato with a dash of TnT. PG-13 Version of the story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Trek. I don't make money off these stories.

A/N: This is a sequel to my Story Carnival, with focus on Archer and Sato. Thank you to Aquarius for the beta.

* * *

><p>Jonathan Archer watched Hoshi, clad in generic civilian garb, climb onto the transporter pad. She didn't look nervous, although he guessed she probably was. This was no ordinary transport. On the other hand, since they had just attempted the unusual procedure on Trip, T'Pol and himself, in that order, and nothing had happened, Hoshi might assume that nothing was going to happen to her as well.<p>

Archer glanced over at Trip, who now manned the controls. The transporter area was way too crowded. T'Pol, Malcolm, and two security officers all stood on alert. Archer stepped up to the pad.

"Remember," he said, "your job is to get to the engine room, make the adjustments, and hide until we bring you back, which won't be long. No more than four hours."

She nodded. "Don't say anything or do anything that might tip anyone off. Go with the flow," she replied, ticking off more of the instructions that had been drilled into her.

Archer nodded, his heart beating in his chest. This was no ordinary mission. He was sending her to another universe, a dangerous one at that. And she would have to pretend to be a version of herself that Archer knew to be very different from his good-natured communication's officer.

He himself had had some experience with that version of Hoshi; some of which he hadn't felt necessary to share with her. He worried that she might discover the nature of his counterpart's relationship with hers; although since, according to the Tholians, the other version of him wasn't on the _Defiant_, he wasn't _that_ worried.

The Tholian technology was different from that which Archer and Trip had experienced at the Andorian carnival. They used a modified transporter to swap a person with their counterpart in the other universe, in this case only if that counterpart was on the _Defiant_. Wherever his counterpart was, Jon was glad he wouldn't be around to bother his universe's Hoshi.

"Ready, Ensign?"

She nodded.

"Good luck," he said.

In an instant Hoshi dematerialized, and then she rematerialized, dressed differently. Her Starfleet uniform had been replaced by an elaborate, formal Japanese kimono style gown. She wore makeup and a formal headdress of some kind.

Despite the clothing, Jon immediately recognized this woman as the Hoshi he'd met in the other universe. Something about the eyes confirmed it.

She looked around, clearly startled, and then she saw Jon. She gasped.

"How did you" her voice trailed off. She appeared simultaneously frightened and angry. She stepped off the transporter pad.

Jon locked eyes with her. "Hoshi, I understand you're confused right now. Allow me to explain. I'm Captain Jonathan Archer of the"

She slapped him across the face with a crack. "How did you escape, you bastard? What have you done? Where am I?" she spat, her voice trembling but dripping with venom.

Two of Malcolm's security guards stepped forward, but Jon raised his hand to stop them. The blow had stung, not just his face but his ego. He had assumed that this Sato and his counterpart were close.

Sato glanced over and saw T'Pol. Her eyes widened, and she laughed bitterly. "So you two have teamed up? Hilarious. Which one of you will put a knife in the other's back, you think?" Then, her eyes found Trip. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but she was quiet.

"You're on the USS _Enterprise_," said Jon firmly, "and this isn't your universe. This is the universe that the _Defiant_ belongs to. A universe with which I think you have a passing familiarity, if you've looked at the _Defiant'_s database."

Jon didn't know for sure if Sato had looked at the database, but he knew the other T'Pol had. It would follow that Sato had.

She looked around. "This is a trick," she said slowly.

T'Pol raised her eyebrow. "I assure you it is not. We are willing to provide you with proof."

She glared at T'Pol, but she said nothing. She turned to Jon. "Why am I here?"

"The _Defiant_'s warp field exists partially in this universe and is tearing a hole in the fabric of our space. We're not interested in getting the _Defiant_ back, just getting her warp drive calibrated so it won't rip a hole in our universe," he explained.

"And you want me to do this?" she asked carefully.

Jon looked over at Trip. If this Sato was willing to do it, then they could bring back their Hoshi sooner rather than later.

Trip stepped forward. "I can give you instructions to give my counterpart. He'll be able to do it, I'm sure."

Sato stepped closer to Trip, looking him up and down curiously. "I guess in this universe you're a little more careful around delta radiation." Jon heard flirtation in her voice.

"I can also give you some safety protocol suggestions for my counterpart," replied Trip smoothly.

She laughed. "Your counterpart disappeared," she replied. "He's somewhere with the Vulcan." She glared at T'Pol, and then she cast a mischievous look at Jon. "The Vulcan was always weirdly attached to Tucker. He helped her out during mating season."

She was trying to embarrass them, but Jon saw Trip and T'Pol glance at one another. Trip had told her that their counterparts were also romantically involved, so this shouldn't have come as too much of a shock.

"The Tholians think the warp drive could rip your space as well," said Jon. "It's in your best interest to help us."

Sato looked at him. "You'll have to prove that." Her eyes locked onto the pips on Jon's shoulders. "Captain."

He looked into her eyes. "You'd let our universe slowly be swallowed up by a fissure in space, if it didn't directly benefit yours?"

She turned away from him. He thought he detected a pang of something in her face. He remembered what it had been like for him when he was in the body of his other self. As different as they were, there were core aspects that they shared. _His_ Hoshi was the type of person who would obsess over the well-being of a slug. This person before him couldn't be that different, could she?

"Why don't we go to my private mess and discuss the situation? You're not a prisoner here, you're a guest. Generally, we're not in the business of transporting people against their will. This is a special situation. We'll return you soon."

She nodded.

"Captain, allow me to send guards with you," said Malcolm. Sato seemed to notice Malcolm for the first time, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She recovered well, but Jon definitely had seen a flash of terror.

"You can post them outside, Lieutenant," said Archer, "but I'll be fine."

Reed looked skeptical. "Yes, sir."

"It's not far," said Archer. "Come with me."

"I know the way," she replied.

Jonathan sighed. He wondered if it would be ethical for him to ask her what his other self's relationship with her had been all about. Maybe she could finally answer some of the questions that had been lingering in his mind since his adventure there.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hoshi Sato had materialized in the largest room she'd ever seen on a starship. It was triple the size of Captain Archer's room, and it was decorated in a JapaneseBrazilian motif. It was clearly her counterpart's room, complete with linguistic textbooks and family photos.

She took a few deep breaths. She could find her way to engineering. She had a map after all, but she didn't want to be found out. She thought it might be best to wait for the next shift.

After a few minutes of examining a closet full of sumptuous clothes and the various objects d' art displayed around her cabin, the chime rang.

"Come in," she said.

A steward pushed a cart into the room. "Your afternoon tea, Empress," said the woman as she bowed.

"Thanks," stuttered Hoshi.

"Will there be anything else, your excellency?" The woman was still bowing.

"No, no, I'm fine," replied Hoshi.

The woman still bowed.

"Umm...you can go," said Hoshi.

The woman backed out of the cabin and disappeared into the corridor, the door shutting behind her.

_What the hell?_ thought Hoshi.


	2. Chapter 2

Empress Hoshi Sato felt powerless as she stared at Captain Jonathan Archer. Even though he wasn't the same Archer she had poisoned, she found being in his presence disquieting. He was so strikingly similar, and yet he carried himself more elegantly and with more confidence. Unlike the man she knew, he wasn't trying too hard, either. As much as she hated to admit it, she could see why this man had become a beloved hero amongst his people. Gone was the bluster, the seething resentment, the sense of entitlement. In its place, she saw in him an easy sense that he was in complete control of the situation.

_No wonder my Jon held him in so much contempt_, she thought. _This man is everything he wasn't. _

"Our Hoshi always enjoys Chef's carrot cake," said Captain Archer as the steward served her a slice of cake, "but you can have whatever you like for dessert."

"This is fine," she said softly, suddenly feeling eerily uncomfortable. She'd eaten in _Enterprise_'s captain's mess many times with Max, but her _Enterprise_ no longer existed. Just like her Max no longer existed.

She paused. Archer wasn't eating dessert, but he was drinking a glass of iced tea. His counterpart liked ice tea as well.

"Max Forrest. Where is he?" she asked.

"Admiral Forrest died in a terrorist attack on Vulcan. It was the Romulans," he replied quietly.

Her heart constricted, and she closed her eyes. This universe, it seemed, was as cruel as her own, despite everyone's pretensions otherwise.

"Did you know him in your world?" he asked, although the answer was probably evident on her face.

"Yes," she replied coldly, and she took a bite of the cake. It tasted the same as it did in her universe. "He's dead there, too," she continued.

Archer sighed. "He was a good man."

She didn't answer. "So, if I agree to alter the warp engine the way you want, will you send me home?"

Archer nodded. "Yes," he replied. "The Tholians can monitor your progress. If you fail, of course, we'll just do this again - with you or with someone else. Trip says the procedure will be fairly straightforward, as long as you understand the basics of warp field theory."

She was puzzled. "Trip? Who's Trip?"

Archer smiled. It was the same damn charming smile. She'd had a weakness for it once upon a time.

"Charles Tucker the Third. That's what we call him here. He doesn't use the nickname where you're from?"

Hoshi shook her head. "He goes by Charles," she said, not being able to imagine the sullen engineer going by a nickname. She pushed the plate back and put down her fork, the cake half uneaten. "Let's go. I want to go home."

* * *

><p>Trip had a PADD ready, as well as instructions. Of course, his engine was an ancient clunker compared to the one he'd seen on the<em> Defiant<em>, but the basic principles were the same. He'd be able to show Sex Kitten Hoshi what to do.

He glanced over at his wife, wondering if she'd sensed the nickname he'd given their guest. Probably not. T'Pol didn't bother using the bond to check for mundane things like his amazement at Sex Kitten Hoshi's dress and attitude.

"I wonder what they're talking about," he said casually.

T'Pol glanced at him. "No doubt the captain is attempting to convince her it is in her best interest to adjust the settings on her ship's engines," replied T'Pol.

He smiled. "It's kinda nice to know we're together in the other universe. When I was there, I got the sense we were't at that place yet."

Her eyes scanned the data on her PADD. "If their universe loosely mirrors ours, it would follow. We spent many months apart before finally coming together." She spoke the words with detachment, as if to remind him of their rules about keeping their relationship professional while on duty. But the other universe was relevant to their mission, and so the topic wasn't off limits.

Trip grinned. "Some things don't change, I guess...but it sounds like we went on the lam together."

"I am unfamiliar with that colloquialism," she replied.

"It means we went on the run together, " he said.

"She only stated that we disappeared together."

"Yeah, but from my brief visit, I got a sense that you couldn't just resign your commission in their Starfleet. It seemed pretty militant. Fascist, if you want to know. From what I gathered from the other you, she was idealistic. She may have hid that part of herself, kind of like you do, but it was there. I'm guessing we're off fighting the good fight."

She tapped some data into her PADD. She didn't show it, but he could tell she wasn't entirely adverse to the notion. He would have made her admit it, but the captain and Sex Kitten Hoshi arrived, still in her elaborate outfit.

"Our guest has agreed to adjust the_ Defiant_'s engine settings," said the captain.

"Have a seat, Ensign Sato...or whatever your rank is," said Trip.

Hoshi sat down at the small workstation and pulled up her chair. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

The captain locked eyes with Trip. "I'll be in my ready room if you need me." At that moment, Trip also noticed two of Malcolm's men standing just outside the door to engineering.

"Thanks, Captain," said Trip.

"T'Pol," he said, "you're with me."

T'Pol nodded to Trip and exited with the captain. Trip handed Hoshi a PADD. "It's all right here, step by step, but you might need to make adjustments for any control variations."

Hoshi looked at the PADD. "You're better looking than the Tucker I know. He's a deformed freak," she said casually.

"I know," he replied smoothly.

She looked up. "How?" she asked.

Trip bit his lip. He didn't know if the captain would want her to know about their little adventure, especially in light of what Trip guessed had gone on between the captain and this Hoshi.

"That's none of your business," he said firmly. "Now, let's get this lesson finished so you can go home. I miss our version of Hoshi."

* * *

><p>The Hoshi Sato who wasn't the Empress sat in a big ready room, pretending to be interested in the work she was supposed to be doing. She was frightened by what she saw, including several execution orders.<p>

One report did catch her interest, though. It was an intelligence report on the possible whereabouts of Charles Tucker III. He was thought to be on a rebel ship with the fugitive Vulcan, T'Pol. Hoshi shook her head. She couldn't wait to tell Trip about that. He'd like that.

She looked up at the chronometer. It wasn't long before she could head down to engineering and order whomever was on duty to change the warp drive settings. Once she did that, all she would have to do was wait.

The door chime rang. She swallowed nervously, but she effected her best command voice.

"Enter," she said.

Her eyes widened when she saw Travis, with a funny haircut and strange uniform, stroll into the room. He grinned at her.

"Good evening, Travis," she said formally, but before she could say a word, he walked straight over to where she was sitting, pulled her up out of her chair and kissed her.

Hoshi's eye's widened, and she didn't respond.

_Go with the flow_, came the voice in her head. She kissed him back.

"The palace is all ready, Empress," he said, "The whole staff is waiting for your arrival."

"Now?" she stuttered.

"Of course, now," he said. "You've been pestering them for weeks. Now they're ready. The shuttle is waiting."

Hoshi couldn't think of an answer. Her heart beat in her chest. "I want to check on something in engineering, first," she said.

Travis looked curious. "Whatever it is can wait, Empress," he said.

Hoshi bit her lip. She knew that if she left _The Defiant_, the Tholian transporter wouldn't be able to find her. But, she didn't feel like she had a choice. Surely, they would just keep trying, right? Surely, she wouldn't be expected to spend that much time on the surface, would she?


	3. Chapter 3

The alternate Hoshi stood on the transporter pad, waiting somewhat impatiently as Trip punched some data into the controls, and T'Pol spoke with the Tholians via a message system the other Hoshi had set up through the universal translator. Jon had begun to think something wasn't right.

"Ensign Sato is no longer on _The Defiant_, Captain," confirmed T'Pol. "The Tholians are attempting a search. It may take some time - perhaps even days."

Jon looked at their guest. He saw a brief flash of fear before her face began to show annoyance.

"It will be all right," he said. "The Tholians warned us this might happen, and the other Hoshi knows she needs to be on The Defiant for the transfer to occur. She'll get back there if she can. She can handle herself. In the meantime, we'll get you some quarters and a change of clothes."

"I'm sure the other me wouldn't mind if I borrowed some of hers," she said.

"That's not going to happen," replied Jon, "but the quartermaster can provide you with everything you need." He turned to T'Pol. "Could our Hoshi be dead?"

T'Pol blinked. "Unknown, sir."

Jon nodded, knowing it had to be possibility. Although, he also knew that Hoshi had survived a great deal over the course of the previous four and a half years. He was confident in her resourcefulness and ability to adapt. He truly believed that it was unlikely that she was dead.

The woman on the transporter pad rolled her eyes. "If I'm not going home, I could use some sleep," she said.

"I'll escort you to a cabin we use for guests," said Jon. "I'm sure it won't be long until we can transfer you home."

She stepped off the transporter pad. "Lead the way, Captain."

Jon saw Trip staring at him, and Jon nodded back as he and Sato headed for her new quarters.

* * *

><p>The erstwhile Empress strode into a tiny cabin, plainly decorated. She didn't approve, but she also knew there was nothing she could do. If she didn't get some sleep, her mind would become muddled, and she couldn't allow that to happen under the circumstances. She had to keep her wits about her.<p>

"This can't be too unfamiliar. You lived on a version of _Enterprise_," said the captain.

She shot a him a glance out of the corner of her eye. "I lived in the captain's quarters, which were much more spacious, as you well know."

She watched as this alternate Archer digested this information, but he said nothing. "I'll let the quartermaster know that you're here. He'll send up a change of clothes and some other supplies to make your stay more comfortable."

She sat down gingerly on the cabin's one chair. "Are you this polite to everyone you kidnap?" she asked.

"I try to be. We'll keep you updated on the situation," he said. "You're confined here, of course. But you can ask the stewards for anything you want, within reason. I know you wouldn't be foolish enough to attempt an escape. There's nowhere for you to go."

As the door shut behind him, she folded her arms. She would be livid if her other self managed to screw up everything she had worked for. She had plans, and they didn't include being stuck in a universe where any version of Jonathan Archer was in charge.

* * *

><p>Ensign Hoshi Sato had donned an elaborate, Japanese style robe and stood before the entrance to a grand palace on San Francisco Bay. The existence of such a place fascinated her, since it stood on what was public parkland in her universe. This universe's Travis Mayweather stood at her side as she greeted various servants who had lined up to bow before her.<p>

"We hope you'll enjoy living here, ma'am," said an older woman as she curtsied.

"Don't speak to the Empress unless spoken to," snapped Mayweather.

Hoshi glared at him, and she held up her hand, "This is a member of my household. I'm pleased she wished to welcome me." Hoshi turned to the terrified looking woman. "In the future, you should adhere to protocol, but I do appreciate your sentiment."

She headed up the stairs with Travis a step behind her.

"That woman deserved a flogging for speaking to you that way," he said. "You don't want these people to think you're soft."

She stopped and folded her arms. "Then maybe I should have you flogged for speaking to me the way you just did," she snapped. "Because she meant well. You, on the other hand, knew better."

Travis's eyes widened. "You wouldn't be Empress if it weren't for me."

Hoshi had no idea how her other self had become Empress, but she was beginning to catch on to this world's standards of behavior, and she was doing her best to outwardly adhere to them. She stared Mayweather down. "And you'll continue to be rewarded. That is, if you show me the proper respect. If not, you'll suffer the consequences like any other subject."

With that, she stomped into the palace. She had formulated a plan in her head. She would inspect the palace, declare it needed work and return to The Defiant. She was certain that her captain and crew would continue attempting the cross universe transport until it was successful.

Although, as she entered the palace, she gasped, wondering if it would be possible to find fault. The ceiling in the entranceway went up at least five stories, with skylights illuminating the space. Everything was white, with polished marble. Beneath her feet was a mosaic of the Imperial symbol that seemed to be everywhere. A huge staircase swooped upwards to a balcony above. The only people she saw were guards posted at the doors and across the upper balcony.

"Would you like to see your bedroom, Empress?" said Mayweather. His lascivious tone left no doubt in Hoshi's mind why he had made the suggestion.

"Yes," she replied, and she began following him up the steps. She had no intention of sleeping with this Travis, but she needn't tell him that.

* * *

><p>Sato paced like a caged tiger in the confines of her small cabin. She loathed being cooped up, and she didn't trust these people. For all she knew, they never intended to send her back. She had to find out more about what was going on with this alleged search for her counterpart.<p>

She doubted she could seduce the guard on duty. Hoshi had attempted to flirt with her earlier in evening, to no avail. She needed to find another way. As she looked up at the ceiling, she thought of one. Above this cabin, like many cabins, was a utility shaft. She was one of the few members of the crew who was small enough to fit through the shaft.

She had changed into one of the formless jumpsuits that everyone, except the Vulcan, seemed to wear. Although she detested the look, she admitted to herself the outfit was practical, especially considering what she was planning to do.

She climbed up on the chair and then the desk, and she carefully pried open a ceiling panel. She took a deep breath, and she hoisted herself up. She carefully started to crawl, doing her best to remember the layout of the ship. She thought her best course of action was to get to the transporter pad and see if she could figure out how to contact the Tholians herself. They would tell her the truth, and they might be able to offer her another way home. She was certain she could offer their cousins in her timeline something to entice them. She was the Empress there, if not here.

She slid and slithered her way through the innards of the ship, making her way past a neat network of conduits and wires. She shook her head. Apparently, Tucker was a stickler in any universe. Finally, she reached the corridor just outside the transporter pad. She carefully open a crack in the floor panel beneath her. She knew it was late, and most of the crew would be asleep. She saw no one beneath her, so she dropped to the floor.

She found the control panel, and she tried to call up a comm link with the Tholians. Of course, she didn't have the proper authorization, but comm links always had emergency bypasses. She just needed to use one of these to contact the Tholians.

"I think you best step away from that console, Ms. Sato."

She froze as she recognized the clipped accent of Malcolm Reed. She raised her hands carefully, and she turned around. He stood there, in a Starfleet uniform and was pointing a phase pistol at her, no doubt set to stun.

She stared at him. He didn't seem as insane as his counterpart, who had always seemed coldly immune to her attempts to seduce him. That was one of the things that most frightened her about him. This one, however, she thought she might have a chance. Or at the very least, she could feign feminine fear in order to get close enough to overpower him.

She quickly formulated a plan.

"Malcolm," she said in her most guileless voice, "Could you put that away? You're scaring me."

"I'll put it away when you're confined to your quarters, as ordered," he replied.

She let out a breathy sigh and widened her eyes. "Malcolm," she said, "It's me. I'm the Hoshi, you know. They brought me back just a few minutes ago."

He smirked. "Nice try, but my Hoshi wasn't wearing a uniform when she left. And if she put one back on, it would be one with her rank insignia."

She bit her lip. "Can't blame a girl for trying, can you? Look, all I want is to check on these controls, to see if I can't figure a way to get home."

Reed gestured to the door. "If there's any progress, we'll let you know. Now, let me escort you back to your cabin."

She stepped forward. "Or we could go to your cabin. It might be more fun."

"Keep back," he said forcefully.

She decided to gamble that he wouldn't shoot someone who looked so much like his Hoshi Sato. She moved toward him quickly, and then felt the stun ray shock her body before she saw it. She hit the ground before she could say a word.


	4. Chapter 4

_"I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't feel like I had a choice." _

Reed had said those words sheepishly when he reported shooting mirror Hoshi, almost as though he had shot their Hoshi. Jon certainly understood his confusion. It was hard to keep them straight in your mind, let alone your heart.

He rang the chime, but she didn't answer. So, he opened the door, phaser ready, but he was unprepared for the soft sounds he heard when he stepped into the cabin.

He found her curled up on the floor, her body heaving. She was weeping.

He took a deep breath, feeling enormous guilt. He was responsible for her situation. He'd essentially kidnapped her and was holding her prisoner, throwing her into a world that she couldn't possibly relate to. He knew well how being in a mirror universe of one's own could be frightening.

He had no doubt she was a tough lady, strong, too. Yet, she must have felt very alone.

He went to the bathroom and retrieved some tissues. He approached her carefully, kneeling beside her. She didn't look at him, but she took the tissues and wiped her nose and eyes, all the time averting her face. He sat down on the floor, leaning back against the bed.

"I'm sorry I brought you here," he said. "If there was another way, we'd have taken it."

Sato swallowed. "If she's dead, will I be able to go back?"

"I don't think so," he answered honestly, "but T'Pol is talking the Tholians about options. There's still hope. And I don't think your counterpart is dead."

She nodded, sitting up. She looked at him, and then something about her demeanor changed. Her gaze got soft, inviting. She moved closer to him, and she placed a hand on his cheek.

"If I'm stuck here, I'm sure I can make myself useful to you," she whispered. "I'm as good a linguist as your Hoshi was, and your counterpart certainly appreciated my _other_ talents."

Her tone left no doubt about what she meant. He felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he had made use of those talents during his visit to her world. He now felt sorry for her, considering what must have been a way of life for her.

"Come now," she purred. "You've always wanted to fuck the other me, haven't you? Cute little innocent Hoshi? But you'd never do that. It would break the rules. Well, now's your chance-"

She leaned toward him and tried to kiss him, but he turned away. But he didn't push her away, either. Instead, he brought his arms around her and held her close, so tightly she couldn't move to turn the embrace sexual.

"I'm not here for that," he said, doing his best to suppress his attraction to her. "I'm just offering comfort."

It took awhile, but she relaxed slightly in his embrace. "At least the other you was honest," she said sharply.

His hands squeezed her arms, hard. He spoke firmly into her ear. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to you. There's a part of me that would very much like to show you how much, but it wouldn't be right. I don't enjoy being used."

She laughed softly. "Don't knock it until you try it, Jon."

He laughed a little in response, and this clearly surprised her. "Just relax. You're not alone here. I brought you here, and if you have to stay, I'm going to make myself responsible for you."

She was quiet. He swallowed, knowing that this Hoshi was an enigma wrapped in trouble, with a side helping of spite. Adjusting to this universe wasn't going to be easy for her, and he was inviting problems by offering to care for her. Yet, deep down, there was something of their Hoshi in her. He would have to help her find it, or she wouldn't survive here. He hoped that she would be able to go home, but he had to prepare for the contingency that she was trapped there permanently.

After awhile, Hoshi went limp in his arms and he realized she had fallen asleep. Being stunned did take a lot out of a person; combine that with a crying jag and the late hour, it was surprising she had stayed awake that long. He sighed and relaxed back against the bulkhead. His had plenty of duties to attend to, but he didn't want to wake her.

* * *

><p>Hoshi Sato sat quietly in her grand palace bedroom, looking at a message from Travis.<p>

_Empress, we've completed your special project. I am eager to show you the results._

Travis was becoming more and more irritated with her since she had dismissed him coldly from her bedroom. Thankfully, he seemed more concerned that she was losing romantic interest in him, rather than suspecting she wasn't who he thought she was. That was fine by her. But he had doubled his efforts to try and please her. He was constantly sending her reports of his progress on various matters, as well as sending her gushing compliments.

The next time she saw him, she planned to ask him to return tothe_ Defiant _immediately to await the decorating requests she had made at the palace.

Hoshi bit her lip. What was the use of being Empress if she wasn't free to return to her ship? She had often read that being royal was akin to being in a cage with golden bars, and she was beginning to see the truth in that. Ever since she had arrived, she had been given one essential task after another, the various courtiers firmly putting off her request to return the_ Defiant._

* * *

><p>Empress Sato had finally woken up when it was nearly 0500 hours. Captain Jonathan Archer had fallen asleep, but she had managed to deftly extricate herself from his embrace. She got up and paced at bit, but then she sat down next to him and stared at him, waiting for him to wake up. He finally did, opening his eyes and stretching.<p>

"It's never fun to sleep on the floor," she said.

He smiled at her, but before he could say anything, she leaned over and brushed his lips to his. To her surprise, he didn't resist. Instead, he kissed her back, firmly and fully. His tongue explored her mouth aggressively, and she let herself go soft into his arms.

Her whole body tingled as she anticipated what was to come. Sex was one of _her_ Jonathan Archer's few talents, and she suspected this version of him was even better. But to her surprise, he broke the kiss, gently pushing her away.

Her mouth dropped open as he stood up.

"If you need anything, just ring for the steward."

He turned on his heels to go. She scrambled to his feet.

"You can't go-" she snapped.

"You're not in charge here, Hoshi," he said and he shut the door. She heard the soft click that was the lock.

* * *

><p>Jon moved very quickly back to his own cabin. He needed a cold shower, and right away. He shouldn't have kissed her, and the fact that he had disturbed him, especially since he enjoyed it so much.<p>

The situation confused the hell out of him. He wanted to believe she was a separate person from his Hoshi, something like an identical twin with the same genes but a different essence. But he had been inside the mind of his other self, and he had felt that they were somehow the same at the core. This woman, for all the surface differences from her counterpart, was more like the Hoshi Jon knew than she would probably ever admit to herself.

And he had to admit to himself, the fact that she looked so much like his Ensign Sato blurred some important lines. When he had visited her universe, he had certainly recognized that his attraction had a lot to do with how he secretly felt about Hoshi. But this woman, she was different, and he certainly appreciated those differences.

He got back to his cabin and quickly stripped and got into the cold shower. He had two hours before he was due on the bridge, and he decided to try and sleep a little before that.

He got into bed, giving Porthos a pat as the dog curled up next to master. Jon did his best to put the crazy situation out of his mind, but he expected that he might just be dreaming about Hoshi once he fell asleep. He just didn't know which one.

* * *

><p>Hoshi Sato had followed Travis, who wore a smug scowl, into the bowels of the palace. She was very glad that three guards accompanied them. She didn't trust this strange, unpleasant mirror of Travis, and she wondered what her other self saw in him, except maybe that he was controllable.<p>

Travis let her into a lab-like chamber, one that felt clinical but ominous. Hoshi recognized that it might be some sort of torture chamber. An older, severe looking woman in a lab coat curtsied to her.

"Good Evening, Empress," she said.

Hoshi nodded in acknowledgment.

"I think you'll find the subject will be as pliable as you like. It took weeks, but we did break him," continued the woman as she pressed a button and opened an imaging chamber. As the patient emerged, Hoshi gasped as she recognized the prone and naked form Jonathan Archer.

"I still think you should have just killed him," said Travis. "You have plenty of slaves."

Hoshi's jaw dropped open, but she regained her composure quickly. She turned and gave Travis the evil eye. "That would have been too quick," she snapped.

She looked back at the man who looked so much like her captain, and she knew she had to help him somehow.


	5. Chapter 5

The Empress sat very still, staring at the whirr of stars outside her window. They were the same as her universe, and sometimes as she looked at them, she forgot where she was. But the chime on the door rang, and she snapped back into reality.

She stood up and answered the door. The captain stood there. He stared intently. Somehow, he seemed taller than her Archer.

"Come in," she said, with a gesture.

"This isn't a social call," he said as he strode inside. "We're making first contact with a species, and Hoshi's replacement is having trouble with their grammar. The last thing we need is for a simple error to blow this mission. Will you help us?"

Her first instinct was to spit in his face, but she didn't. Instead, she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. It would be an excuse to get out of the cabin, maybe even visit the surface of a planet. Although she was loathe to help this man, who ripped her out of her own world and was keeping her prisoner in his, she also recognized that he was her only hope of getting home.

Even though she was considering helping him, she remained quiet.

"It'll give you something to do. You must be going stir crazy," he said in response to her silence.

She sighed and carefully nodded. "I'll help. On one condition."

He stared at her. "Name it."

"You get me better clothes than this jumpsuit."

The captain smiled, that damn boyish grin. It gave her goosebumps, and not just because of its similarity to his counterpart.

"Deal," he replied.

"I wish to return to the Defiant," said Hoshi, perched at the edge of a glass throne.

"It is currently two days away, Empress," said the toady-like man at her side.

"If I am not back on the ship in two days," she said as she stood up, her robes swooping behind her, "everyone will pay."

She walked around the throne and a hidden door slid open. She strode through, letting it shut behind her. Sitting in the corner of the chamber was Jonathan Archer. He had been looking out the window, but he turned his gaze toward her. It was venomous.

"Are you feeling better?" she said, ignoring the look in his eyes.

He got to his feet and came closer. Before she could protest, he pulled her into a searing kiss. She swooned and put her arms around his neck.

"I still don't remember how I got here," he said as he pulled away.

She stared at him, and somehow she knew she wasn't going to fool him. On top of that, she assumed that he didn't much care for her counterpart, despite the kiss. He had to have had some sense that she was the one who put him in this state.

She decided to tell him the truth. If he decided to snitch, it would hardly matter. He was a slave. Anything he said wouldn't be believed. Besides, this was Jonathan Archer. She had to trust him, different universe or no.

"Can I let you in on a secret?" she whispered. "I don't remember how you got here either."

His brow furrowed. She took a deep breath, and she explained who she was and where they were.

He glared and grabbed her shoulders, and she swiftly evaded him and grabbed his arm into a hold. "You know, I could call the guards and order you killed. I could tell them you're raving mad and think I'm from another universe."

He relaxed in her grip. "Why have you told me this?"

She sighed as she let him go. "Because my Jonathan Archer would help me," she replied simply. "I'm hoping you will, too."

He smirked at her. "My memories are foggy, but my Hoshi poisoned me and stole my ship."

Instinctively, she stepped back. He stepped toward her.

"...and then she apparently declared herself Empress," he said as he stepped closer.

She could feel his breath on her face. "I don't want to be Empress. I just want to go home. I'll help you escape. Just help me get to the Defiant."

He looked at her, and she could read his expression.

"Will you help me kill her? The other you?" he asked.

"No," she spat, then added softly. "That wouldn't be right."

He grinned evilly at that, and she started to realize this Archer was very different from hers. "That's what your universe is all about. Right versus wrong?"

She glared at him. "We try. My Jonathan Archer tries. He's a great man, though he hates it when people say that." Hoshi was starting to get a sense that this man was the opposite. He wanted to be called great, but he wasn't. That thought made her deeply sad for him.

He had gotten quiet, and it felt to Hoshi as though they had reached an impasse.

"We need each other. You help me get to the Defiant, and I'll help you escape. It seems to me you don't have a lot of options," she said matter-of-factly. In truth, she didn't really feel like she needed his help, but despite his differences from her captain, she still didn't feel like she could leave him as a slave.

He inhaled and nodded. "It's only for a few days, right?"

The Empress strode onto the the bridge, wearing an elegant black dress and low heeled boots that had been procured from the quartermaster. This universe's quartermaster was highly skilled, and apparently he kept a store of material from which to make clothing. She glanced over at T'Pol, who manned the science station and wore a bright pink catsuit. Hoshi didn't blame her, as the Starfleet uniforms of this universe were ghastly.

She walked straight over to the comm and sat down, glancing back at Captain Archer. He nodded at her.

She started to listen to the gibberish. After a few moments, she started to recognize a grammatical structure. Then, she caught a word of two. She calibrated the UT based on her perceptions, and it began to do its work.

"I have something," she said. "It shouldn't be long."

"Good work, Hoshi," said Archer.

She nodded at him. Despite everything, the exhilaration of learning a new language overtook her.

A few hours later, T'Pol dined with Trip in the mess hall.

"It doesn't surprise me she did well," he said. "She can't be that different from our Hoshi."

T'Pol glanced at him and then in the direction of the captain's mess. The captain and alternate Hoshi were dining there, alone.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" said Trip.

The question was irrelevant. Thanks to the bond, Trip must have sensed the direction of her thoughts. "You've been worried, too. Ever since she arrived."

Trip took a bite of his catfish, and he shook his head ruefully. "It's beyond strange. And she's trouble. Do you think we should say something?:"

T'Pol took a bite of her salad. "Do you think he would listen?"

Trip thought for a moment, and thanks to the bond, she understood what he thought of was how attractive the alternate Hoshi was. She had her answer.

The Empress drank her green tea, and she studied the face of Captain Jonathan Archer. Sometimes, she would swear he was the man she knew. Other times, she saw things in him the other man did not possess. Confidence. Courage. And something else she couldn't quite place, but she was beginning to see why this Jonathan Archer had become so important to his timeline.

"So, why did you break up with the other me?" he asked, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

She ran her finger along the rim of her cup. "I wanted to be the captain's woman. Not the girlfriend of the first officer."

Archer smiled. "So, in this timeline, you wouldn't have dumped me for Forrest?"

She looked up at him. "That depends. If I had a shot at an admiral, I might well have taken it...but then again, if it were you and not the other you...you strike me as someone who gets what he wants. And you manage to do it without violating all the pesky rules that govern this universe."

She watched his face change. He looked sad.

"You'd be surprised. In the Expanse," he said, "I learned I was capable of just about anything, if I thought it was justified."

"You were the big hero. The savior," she replied. She meant it, too. Confined to her quarters, she'd read a lot of news articles about the Xindi mission.

He laughed bitterly. "I tortured people. I ordered the deaths of innocents. I did things that still give me nightmares..."

She stared into her tea. "The other you found that in himself. When I first knew him, he wasn't like that. At the end, he-"

"I don't think I want to know," snapped Archer, putting his hand up. His expression was anguished, but he composed himself quickly.

"You're a better man than him," she said. "I couldn't put my finger on it at first. He certainly didn't understand why you were so much more successful than him. He poured over your biography on the Defiant. It enraged him. But he didn't get it."

Archer stared at her, then turned to look out the window. "What didn't he get?"

"In this universe, you've won the trust of the crew. The Vulcan, Tucker...even Reed. They'd all cross the galaxy on your orders without even asking why. With them at your back, you'll keep rising."

"Don't tell me how high," he said. "I don't want to know that, either."

She bit her lip. "I'd be proud to serve under you." Once out of her mouth, she could scarcely believe she'd said the words.

"Thanks," he said. "I'd be happy to have you serve under me. Your counterpart is essential, and I think you're more like her than you know."

Hoshi gripped the teacup, and she suppressed the sadness welling up in her. Prior to getting to this insane universe, she hadn't cried since Max had died. She didn't plan on crying again.


	6. Chapter 6

This is the 'clean' version of this chapter. A more explicit version can be found at The Delphic Expanse fan community.

* * *

><p>The Empress was alone in her cabin, slowly picking at the bland food that constituted her lunch when the chime rang.<p>

"Come in," she said in a friendly voice, assuming it was Captain Archer.

It wasn't. In strode Commander T'Pol, looking all Vulcan-y in one of her slinky cat suits. Hoshi wondered if any of this universe's crew ever noticed the weird incongruity of her form-fitting outfit versus her cool demeanor. Hoshi's eyes migrated to the ring on T'Pol's finger. They called her husband Trip in this universe, and he was unscarred physically, if not mentally. She knew about Charles Tucker and T'Pol, their dead freak hybrid and everything, from the Defiant's database. It was one of those items that made her think that their universes weren't that far apart.

Still, she found it weird when she had seen Tucker and the Vulcan together. She was used to them bickering, not acting all - married. It was kind of sickening. As was the trust that Captain Archer seemed to place in the Vulcan. Hoshi had kicked around the idea of telling Jonathan that her T'Pol had rebelled against her Archer, but she hadn't. For some reason, she knew that story would have hurt his feelings.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"The Tholians have located your counterpart. She's alive, and she has returned to the Defiant. It will take them approximately twelve hours to recalibrate their inter-dimensional transport system. Then, we will make the switch."

Hoshi swallowed and nodded. To her shock, the news made her sad.

Hoshi stared at the control panel. The engine room of the Defiant was brighter than the one on Enterprise, and the controls far more advanced. But Trip had given her simple, easy-to-follow instructions. She tapped the calibrations in, using Sato's voice print to gain access.

"Done," she said with a smile.

Jonathan Archer stood nearby with a scary looking phase pistol pointed at the door. "So, that's it? If you didn't do that, it was going to rip a hole in the space time continuum?"

She nodded. "That's what they say," she replied. "I'm a linguist, not a warp field engineer."

Archer put the phase pistol away. "Let's get back to the Empress's quarters. We don't know when they are going to transport you out, and I doubt the other Hoshi is going to be too happy to see me."

She nodded. "Are you going to take the shuttle like I suggested? You could get to the borderlands."

He appeared to consider this, but he didn't answer. They were walking briskly through the corridors toward her quarters. "Please tell me you aren't going to try and harm her. She's got a lock on power here. Believe me, I know. I don't think you can win."

He said nothing. He just looked at her funny, reminding her of how badly she wanted to go home.

The Emrpress, clad in the drab jumpsuit since her better clothes were in the laundry, walked through the corridors of Enterprise, occasionally looking over at the guard who was escorting her. She reached the captain's quarters and pressed the chime.

Archer's voice bade her to come in. The guard tried to follow her, but she snapped at him. "I think he can take care of himself," she said. "He'll let you know if I make trouble."

Archer smiled at that. "It's okay. She's right," he said to the guard.

His beagle was at his side, also called Porthos. He came to greet her, and she patted him. He was friendly and sloppy, like a great many things in this universe.

"You've been avoiding me all day," she said. "You even sent the Vulcan to tell me I'm going home soon."

He sighed. "To be honest," he said, "I didn't know what to say."

She smirked at that, but she didn't answer. Archer approached her.

"To be even more honest, I wish I didn't have to send you back. I think you'd like it here, if you stayed."

She shook her head. "You keep assuming everything is superior here. Don't," she said softly.

"You've said more than once I am," he said, walking to the cabinet near his bed. "Would you care for a drink to celebrate your imminent departure?"

"Of course," she replied.

He got out a bottle, which looked like bourbon - also his counterpart's favorite drink. He poured two glasses, and she decided to sit down on the edge of his bed. He joined her there.

"I'm really glad to know your Hoshi is all right," she said sincerely.

"Me too," he replied.

They sat in silence, finishing their drinks. When both glasses were empty, she took them at put them aside.

"What shall we do with hours we have left?" she asked playfully.

He shook his head. "Don't make me regret inviting you in."

She sat back down next to him. Then she blurted out, "Do you want to know something, Jonathan? When I first met the other you, I fell immediately in love. I wasn't just using him like I told you before. I really loved you- I mean him. The feeling didn't last..." Her voice trailed off.

He sighed. "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

She leaned over and she brushed her lips on his. "You didn't. He did."

"I told you. I don't like being used," he said softly, turning away from her.

"I don't need anything from you, now," she whispered as she snaked her arms around his waist. "So, it's not using you."

He froze there for a minute, and she thought he might try and reject her again. He turned to face her, still in her arms. She pulled tighter stared up at him. His face was unreadable as a Vulcan's. Then, he pulled her into a deep, warm kiss. She melted into him, enthusiastically returning the kiss before starting to move quickly, almost frantically to undress him.

He pulled her tighter. "Slowly," he ordered softly. "Go slowly."

His green eyes locked with hers. Her heart started to beat in her chest. It was ridiculous that she was nervous. She was hardly out of her comfort zone. She knew how to fuck, any which way a man needed it. She enjoyed it. Yet, for the first time since she was very young, she was nervous.

"Any way you want it," she whispered in his ear. "I'll let you do anything..."

He grinned at her mischievously, and her heart beat faster. She couldn't begin to predict what he would do to her, but she knew she'd like it, no matter how twisted. The nicer men appeared on the surface, the dirtier they got in bed.

'Just follow my lead," he said, sitting up.

She sat up, eyeing him curiously. Before she could say anything else, he kissed her. After than, it was like a dream that she didn't want to wake from.

Afterwards, he cradled her in his arms. He was making sure both their memories of this would last, as though he could imprint those memories with his hands around her body.

She trembled. She couldn't tell him what she had done to his other self. He wouldn't understand. She knew he wasn't the same man she had hurt, but she feared he would reject her if he learned what she had done. She knew it was best if she left before he had a chance to learn the truth.

He held her and kissed the top of her head. "If I knew a way to let you stay, I would," he whispered.

She shut her eyes. "I don't belong here," she replied. "Eventually, you'd realize that. I'd rather go than have it come to that."

He sat up on his elbows. "I know the kind of world you came from. I could hardly hold what you did to survive there against you.'

She put her hand on his face. "I did more than survive," she said.

He took the hand and kissed it. "Then I'm proud of you," he said. "And I'll remember you."

Hoshi stared at the ceiling of the _Defiant_. Jonathan Archer lay next to her, also staring at the ceiling. She had several times told him to leave, fearing her other self would return and hurt him somehow, but he stayed.

"I don't know why she betrayed me. Everything I did, including take this ship, was for her. I wanted to show her I was worthy."

Hoshi blinked. This Archer would not stop talking about the other her, and the crazy circumstances of their lunatic lives. "It sounds to me like she was angry about Forrest's death."

Archer shook his head. "I didn't kill him. That was an accident. Besides, he didn't love her. She was just a trophy. He would have replaced her had he found someone better. I never would have replaced her."

His words stung at her for some reason. Whatever she thought of this man, she believed that he had loved her other self. "For what it's worth," she replied "I can't imagine hurting you. I always had this big crush on the other you. I never acted on it of course, because the other you would never violate regulations that way."

Archer snorted derisively. "He would if he thought he could get away with it. Trust me. We're not that different. I sensed him in my head that one time. He enjoyed his time with the other you."

This wasn't the first time Archer had implied something had happened between her universe's Archer and her counterpart, and every time he did, she felt a weird combination of jealousy and exhilaration. As much as she hated to admit it, she liked the fact that her Jonathan Archer had been unable to resist her counterpart. "Well," she replied, "I'm just glad she didn't poison him."

He rolled his eyes at that.

She bit her lip. "So, you really think he's attracted to me?"

Archer snickered. "I don't think. I know. Just like I know deep down you're a viper, like her."

She smirked at that. Everyone thought she was so sweet, but she knew herself better. She just didn't often have occasion to show her dark side. "I have my moments, but I think it's probably more accurate that deep down, she's just a woman that wants to be safe, far away from intrigue or war or torture. I don't think she's going to be happy as Empress."

Archer ignored that statement. Instead, he stretched and got up and poured himself a drink, staring into the glass. "I wanted to tell her who she married in your timeline, but she didn't want to know. He looked at her. "Why don't you take a guess?"

Hoshi's jaw dropped. "Now you're just messing with my head. Like I said, he's never been anything but professional-"

Before she could finish, Hoshi felt herself dematerializing. The last thing she thought was that it was going to be a very interesting scene once the real Empress materialized in her place.

Captain Jonathan Archer stared as his Hoshi Sato, the woman who he was supposed to be glad to see, appeared onto the transporter pad. She smiled a little as she realized where she was. He realized he was glad to see her; he just wished that the other Hoshi wasn't gone.

"Are you okay?" he asked, barely meeting her eyes.

"Fine," she said. "Mission accomplished."

He stepped forward, and she stepped off the pad. "We know," he replied. "The Tholians already informed us of your success. But we were worried before that."

"I was forced to leave the ship for a few days," she said, "I'm sorry if I spooked everyone. I'll put it all in my report."

Archer nodded. "I want Phlox to check you out first."

"Understood, sir," she said.

"I'll walk with you. I'd like to hear more about what you saw there," he said.

She nodded. "It's a grim place," she replied and they began to walk. She kept glancing at him.

"So, you're really all right?" he asked.

She noticed a telltale strain in his voice, but she nodded again. "I even got a chance to meet the other you," she said.

"I got the impression from your counterpart that I'm not very likable in that universe."

Hoshi smiled enigmatically. "I wouldn't say that, but you are more likable. I'm glad to be back in your company."

As they entered sickbay, Archer wondered if things would ever be the same between them. He hoped so, and he resolved to make sure she kept her appointment for breakfast with him as though nothing had changed.

Sometime later, Ensign Sato paced her quarters, thinking about her counterpart. And Archer's counterpart. She half wanted to be a fly on the wall when they reunited. She also guessed that something had occurred between the Empress and Captain Archer during the switch. Something in the cadence of his voice when he spoke to her had changed. Her linguist's ear recognized that he was trying too hard to sound normal.

Hoshi took a deep breath. Her adventure in the other universe had made her realize that her little crush on Archer, something she always dismissed as silliness, was not silly. It may well have been fate. Her instincts told her that the other Archer wasn't lying when he implied that she had - or would - marry the captain.

She wondered if it was foolish to be jealous of herself. Or if it was more foolish to let her counterpart's actions interfere with -

She didn't know with what, but she was going to have breakfast with the captain like normal. And she was going to figure how to make fate work in her favor. She had the better Archer after all, and she wasn't going to squander that fact. The other her, she believed truly, would expect nothing less of her.

The end


End file.
